The invention relates to a control circuit for a self-starting electric motor of the type having stator windings in respective series relation with gate type electronic switches which are controlled by control impulses generated in a gate circuit. A motor starting pulse generator is connected to the gate circuit which generates short starting pulses and long blocking pulses. Motor operating controls responsive to commutation impulses are connected to the gate circuit which override the effects of the motor starting pulse generator during normal operation. An integrator for the commutation pulses generates a voltage level signal which corresponds to the speed of the motor. A comparator compares this signal with a reference voltage and, when the signal reaches a predetermined level, the motor starting generator is overriden. When the motor is stopped for any reason the short starting pulses attempt to start the motor at intervals determined by the length of the blocking signals. By way of example, the short starting pulses could have 0.28 seconds duration compared to 22.4 seconds duration for the blocking pulses.